Konpeki no Kantai::Volume1 Chapter1

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Konpeki no Kantai Volume 1 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Suffering Heroically (The Years Before the War)

1

...Even in this world, the year Showa 14 was the prelude to the start of a war.

April first, the Tokyo evening sky was clouded over. Takano Isoroku left the Navy Department. The car headed for Shinbashi. The meeting place was in the restaurant Aika.

Making his assigned driver stop at a considerable distance from the place, Takano spoke to him,

"You can go home early. Go home early now and then to play with your children."

As he said that, passing him some money,

"With this for cookies..."

"No, this sort of thing..."

"Haha, children are our national treasure."

Takano laughed, "My return will probably be over there..."

"Your Excellency, please take care."

Saying that, his driver gave him a worried look, but,

"Haha, don't worry about the right wingers."

Having said that, Takano laughed and got out of the car.

The neighborhood around the Shinbashi Station was filled with people heading home from their jobs. At the bus stop there was a line of people waiting for the charcoal bus, and nearby stood a still brand new post-box made of concrete. In this world at this time, substitute goods were all over the country.

There was no steel, nor petroleum. Japan was a little country with few resources. He wondered how many years such a country as this could fight against that great nation, America. The outcome was clear to see. Nevertheless, the leaders of the homeland planned on making war with America. He was indeed angry...

Takano walked down the back streets towards the red light district. He greeted a geisha who crossed his path.

When he arrived at the flowered gate, Takano looked around. He had the feeling he was being followed by somebody.

He stood in the quiet entryway and the hostess showed her face at once.

"Everyone?"

"Yes. Everyone is waiting anxiously for His Excellency."

"Yes"

Nodding and taking off his shoes, he went down the polished corridor. The meeting room was far in the back, as always. All the members were seated around the table.

"I haven't made you late."

Takano sat with his back to the alcove. "I was about to leave when some members of the Veteran's Association dropped in to try and persuade me directly. They wore me out."

Takano faced their hostess and,

"I'll have my drink later. I want to meet for a while."

The hostess bowed once and closed the sliding door.

"Well then."

Speaking formally, Takano said "With this, how many times have we met now?"

"Yes sir, it's been eleven times now."

Answered their organizer, Navy Commander Genda Shingo.

"Is that so?"

Takano nodded and said, "As for us, rumors are starting to fly. In fact, even today army field officers were showing up from the early morning at my office to force a meeting with me. Showing up in turns, they were the usual annoying warmongers, but the lot of them threatened to accuse me of being to blame for the February 26th Incident."

Takano, as always, spoke in a manner easy to understand.

"I answered 'Even if there is a revolt, the country will not perish. But if we go to war with America, such will not be the case.' When it comes to those guys, they are only after blood and plainly do not have a calm perspective from which to observe the situation in the world around them..."

It isn't just the army doing this. There is also the right wing, the mayors of the cities, members of the Diet, and even various members of the women's patriotic groups. Everybody is saying one thing, as if they were all carried away by the energy. It's just like a recording. In one voice they say 'Attack America.'

Indeed, the current state is like an over-stretched rubber band. The unidentified monster called 'Nationalism' is having its way, and people have lost the ability to see reality.

"Don't they say that even in your Excellency's home town the right wing is scattering around unsettling letters?"

"Quite so, Genda-kun. The lot of them are saying things like 'Takano Isoroku is holding hands with the British and the Americans, going out to dine with them, watching movies at their embassies and thoroughly enjoying himself' ..."

"Indeed, that group is in the darkest of ignorance."

"However, a born fool is never cured."

"Though now and then we hear of assassination plots..."

That was real. There were even those who had been caught trying to plant bombs at the Department of the Navy.

"No, leave that alone."

Said Takano.

Removing the cover from his Kutani-ware tea-bowl, moistening his lips,

"Gentlemen, in any case, our investigative society may not be able to meet even as frequently as we have up to now. I believe, however, that it is finally the time to put our plans into action. Each of us must study well our responsibilities, and as we do what we can, recruit many like-minded people as we prepare for the fated outbreak of war."

"Will it come to war after all?"

"It will. I have spent a lot of effort up to now in hindering it, but already it seems I cannot halt the crowd. A fever is running through the country..."

"Your excellency, when do you predict that the war will start?"

"As things are, if the history of this world progresses as you gentlemen also know, well, it should be early in December of the year after next."

The men, seated all in a row, nodded all at once. So far, the predictions spoken by Takano to them had every one proved to be right.

"Therefore, we have thirty-two months left to us?"

"Exactly. And so, the realization of our plans must be concrete and quick."

Said Takano, closing his eyes after a bit.

Since they started, it had been two and half years. The meeting's name: Deep Blue. They were studying out something called the '12-8 Plan.' It was all Takano Isoroku's idea.

Half the members came from the Naval Academy's field officer class, and the rest were technical officers and civilian technical experts.

"Gentlemen. In our meetings thus far, I have always said that in the unlikely event of the outbreak of war between America and Japan, we would lose. The reasons for this I have explained in detail. An attack on Hawaii by means of an aircraft carrier fleet¤, that particular case of a surprise attack, would probably be a success. However, that would bring conceit and pride to government heads and civilian, and the result would be their tumbling down a steep road to defeat..."

¤ A mechanized unit in the earlier world, but in the future Japan called an aircraft carrier fleet (in addition Task Force in America & England, Mobile Einsatzgruppe in Germany). Please note there are other unique ways they may be named later in the new world.

"As Your Excellency tells us, so it will be."

<~~15% Completed~~>

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